DIY fantastic: Denim pool cue case

What?! You don't have a burning desire for your very own denim pool cue case? Nutters. Okay, okay, I'll square with you, this was a commissioned piece that I made to custom fit Mr Fantastic's very own pool cue. It had to be manly, protective and durable. Given it's coming up to V-day, maybe the man in your life needs something just like this?! But as well as storing your / his prized pool cue it could be customised for any long (ish), thin (ish) articles you need to store or transport in a practical (but stylish) manner! I'm thinking hockey sticks, umbrellas, pogo sticks...it pretty much works with anything!

What you'll need:

• A pair of worn or distressed denim (be practical about the level of distressing, full on holes aren't going to help if your item to transport has small components that could fall out of said holes)
• Needle and thread (or a tough beast of a sewing machine!)
• Cord for the drawstring
• Contrasting material/embellishments as you wish

Steps:

1. Take your worn jeans and cut a section of the jean leg to a good six inches longer than your snooker cue (did I say pool earlier? I wouldn't know the difference!), this is to allow some room for seams and for a drawstring at the top.

2. Then if you want your case to be narrower than the width of the leg (as was the case for the skinny cues) you will need to cut the length of the leg to the desired width - plus an inch for seams.

3. Now's the time to add any embellishments you want. We added the initials BN to pocket in blue and white stripes.

4. Once you are happy with the size of your denim, turn it inside out and fold into two. Pin and sew along two sides - one short side (this will be the base of your case) and one long side (to be the side of the case) leaving the opening at the top.

5. Next, to create the drawstring channel, take a section of your contrasting material and cut a section the same width as the case and about 2-3 inches tall. Sew this onto the top and sew around it twice to create a channel to hold the drawstring. Make two small slits at either end of the seam for your drawstring.

6. Take your cord and attach a safety pin to one end and use this to feed it through the channel you have made. Knot off the ends and hey presto - just pop in your pool cue!